The urge to shrug back into my jacket made my hands curl around the cuffs.
“Look at her.” Justin pointed at me. “Perfect proportion between shoulders and hips. Not too busty. Long legs. I betcha she’s flexible. And the best part...” He narrowed his eyes at Gil. “She’s available, right now. She’s here, ready to work. So...get painting.”
“You’re not my boss, Miller.” Gil pushed him out of the way, prowling past me with a glower. His speed made air lick around my exposed arms, ordering me to hoist up my jacket and protect myself from the frosty chill that surrounded Gil wherever he went.
I zipped my jacket with a heavy sigh.
Justin groaned under his breath. “Don’t worry, O. Let me talk to him tonight and—”
“I won’t change my mind.” Gil headed toward the shadows at the opposite end of the warehouse. “She can’t be here.”
“I’ll make him hire you.” Justin smiled. “Either that or I’ll help you find a job. Do you, eh, need cash now? You strapped?”
My cheeks flared with heat. “I’m good.” I didn’t want some boy from school thinking I was days away from homelessness, even if that was true. “I have savings.”
“Okay, great.” He grinned. “In that case, want to grab a late dinner? My shout? Be good to catch up.”
My stomach grumbled at the offer, but I shook my head politely. “Thanks, Justin, but I really should be getting home.”
I need to nurse my wounds in private.
“I could always drop you off after—”
A shrill cell phone ring shattered the tension of the warehouse. Gil flinched as his hand shot into his jeans pocket and pulled out the offending device. He froze as another ear-piercing ring sounded. Instead of answering like a normal person, he pressed accept, shot us a guarded look, then jogged to the office and slammed the door.
Justin rolled his eyes. “That guy has privacy issues.”
“He do that a lot when the phone rings?”
“Yep. Never takes a call where he can be overheard.”
I supposed that wasn’t all that strange. I didn’t like talking on the phone in public either.
With Gil gone, my desire to leave escalated. “Well, I guess I’ll get going, seeing as I got a second refusal.” I smiled half-heartedly. “Least I tried.”
Justin scowled. “I don’t know what his problem is. The commission is definitely worth his while, and you’d be perfect for it.”
“Ah, well.” Moving toward the exit, I added, “Nice to see you again.”
“Yeah, so random, huh?” He walked with me until we got to the roller door and its small pedestrian access to the side. “I can’t believe it’s been so long since we were all at school together.”
“Yeah, me too.” Bizarre how life worked and intertwined. I placed my hand on the door handle. However, a question niggled at the back of my mind. “I didn’t know you guys were such good friends to work together. I thought you were practically enemies, actually.”
Because of me.
Justin lounged against the roller, crossing his arms with a chuckle. “Yeah, he was pissed that we dated. But that’s in the past. And we don’t technically work together. I check in on him now and again. We bumped into each other a year ago and kinda stayed in touch.”
“That’s nice.”
“Strange really, seeing as you’re right. We didn’t talk much at school. He’s talented, though. And that’s what I respect. Even if he is a prick most of the time.”
My heart squeezed, remembering a younger Gil.
He’d never been a prick to me.
Until he was.
“You’ve seen his YouTube channel?” Justin asked, his eyes lingering on me.
I exhaled in a rush. “Yes. I researched him after I saw the ad. I didn’t know it was him though, thanks to the hood.”
“Bet you wouldn’t have come for the interview if you’d known.” His gaze travelled to the office where Gil had disappeared into.
“Oh, I don’t know. I’m a sucker for pain.”
And I’ve been searching for him ever since he vanished.
Justin laughed gently. “You certainly riled him up tonight.”
“Seems just my presence has that power these days.” Awkwardness fell, signalling an end to our weird conversation. “Anyway...I better be—”
“Going. Sure. Sorry.” He opened the exit for me. “Guess I’ll see ya ’round, O.”
“I guess.” I smiled again and stepped into the chilly darkness.
“Wait!” The loud bark wrenched my head around as Gil jogged from his office. His phone remained clutched in his fist, but the call had ended.
“What’s up?” Justin asked.
Gil ignored him, not stopping until he was within touching distance to me. Stress lines decorated his face. A heaviness that wasn’t there before lurked in the depths of his eyes, and a barely restrained violence etched his jaw.
He looked defeated.
He looked dangerous.
Instinct ordered me to back away, but I held my ground.
He breathed hard, the bruise on his jaw and cut lip demanding care as he held up his hand, a silent request for me to stay. “Be here. Tomorrow. Nine a.m. sharp.”
I blinked. “What?”
“You heard me. I’ve changed my mind. I’ll do the commission, but I’m running out of time. Be here first thing. I don’t know when we’ll be done. Depends if I like my concept or not and how long it takes to paint you.”
“So...you’re giving me the job?”
“You’ve got work for the next couple of days.” He gritted his teeth as if he already struggled with the idea. “We’ll discuss any repeats after.”
“Not exactly reliable employment.”
“Take it or leave it.” He crossed his arms gingerly, pain flashed across his features.
My stomach rumbled embarrassingly, reminding me that no money equalled no food, and my heartache was worthless.
For a second, I deliberated disclosing the parts of me that might make me a less than ideal canvas. But this job wasn’t given freely; I would keep my secrets until tomorrow.
Holding out my hand for him to shake, I said softly, “I’ll take it.”
For the longest second, Gil just stared at my hand. He didn’t uncross his arms, making nerves thread their way down my spine. He looked trapped between fear and want.
Justin cleared his throat; Gil rushed to capture my offered palm.
The moment his touch met mine, it was as if seven years had vanished and we were hidden behind the school gym, tucked together in the dusk, our bodies aching, our limbs shaking, our hearts gasping to be brave.
I bit my lip as Gil stiffened, squeezing my fingers until they throbbed. He clutched me as if he wanted to brand me. As if he tasted the past and buckled beneath the memories.
Memories of what we’d once shared.
The openness.
The hope.
The beginning of something so much bigger than us.
Us.
There had once been an incredible us.
A blistering connection between a privileged girl and a poor boy who weren’t from the same existence.
That same power—the force of forever and belonging—burned with a ferocity that turned my insides to ash and heart to flame.